A man in western India has fatally stabbed 14 members of his family, including seven children, before hanging himself.

Hasnain Warekar, 35, went on his overnight killing spree after a family gathering at his home, said Gajanan Laxman Kabdule, a police spokesman in the city of Thane, outside Mumbai.

He said a motive was not known, but the Press Trust of India news agency reported that a family dispute over property was behind the attacks.

Warekar's extended family - three sisters, their children and his parents - were among those who had apparently got together for dinner, Mr Kabdule said.

Warekar's wife and two young daughters were also in the house and were among those killed.

The only survivor was a sister who was wounded, the officer said, adding that she was in a hospital and in "a state of shock".

Mr Kabdule said it appeared that Warekar began his stabbing spree after everyone had gone to bed. The victims' bodies were discovered early on Sunday morning.

The bodies were sent to a Thane hospital for post-mortem examinations.